Good Friday

In most countries in Latin America, Holy Week is celebrated with processions, special masses, and religious rituals. Good Friday becomes the focal point of the crucifixion and death of Jesus; suffering and penance are highlighted, often at the expense of the glorious Resurrection.
Not so in Uruguay. On the 23rd of October of 1919, a law was passed here “rebaptizing” Holy Week to remove its religious connotations. Holy Week (Semana Santa) officially became Tourism Week (Semana del Turismo). In other parts of the country, it's also called Beer Week, Creole Week, and Cycling Week! The annual “jineteadas,” elaborate displays of horse pageantry, take place in El Prado (a block from our apartment) in a locale resembling a state fairground; bronco-busting and other competitions attract crowds from all over the country.

Statistics show that 80% of Uruguayans are baptized Catholics, an astounding figure considering that only 3% attend mass regularly. According to a recent newspaper article, Catholic leaders do not worry about the secularization of Holy Week – the local archbishop said it was a challenge, but not a negative situation; most know that attendance on Easter Sunday will quadruple from its usual number, with at least 200-300 people requesting baptism in Montevideo alone.

Syncretism, ignorance, and secularism prevail during this week. Even those who practice umbanda* observe Saturday of Holy Week, taking the time to do a “spiritual cleansing” in honor of the Resurrection.

The challenges for missionaries are great…

*Umbanda is a syncretistic Afro-Brazilian religion, a cult of possession, which uses mediums to call on higher and lower spirits of darkness. Followers believe in one supreme God, but generally worship the intermediary spirits. They see evil as a force to fight and a force to invoke on their behalf.